LYME AND TICK-BORNE DISEASE PREVENTION, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH ACT
Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of the Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Prevention Act. I have co-introduced this bill because a more coordinated Federal effort to fight Lyme disease is long overdue.
Lyme disease is one of the most mysterious and misunderstood illnesses that our families, including our children, face every day. Our health care community faces extremely difficult challenges in diagnosing and treating Lyme disease.
The epicenter of Lyme disease is in my district in the Hudson Valley, but incidence rates have increased dramatically throughout the country in the past few years. There are 49 States that have experienced Lyme disease cases.
It is time for the Federal Government to assume greater Lyme fighting responsibilities. Our bill will help develop a realistic and reliable diagnostic test, it will help increase Lyme disease research, and it will create an advisory committee of patient advocates and specialized physicians to help Health and Human Services develop and implement a vastly improved national strategy to fight Lyme disease.
We can't leave the burden of controlling Lyme disease to our local health agencies alone. By passing this bipartisan legislation, more work will be done at the Federal level to help our local communities. Please help me pass this legislation.
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